The 10 Hottest Maseratis Of All Time

100 years ago this week, the four Maserati brothers opened a small automotive repair shop in the heart of Bologna, Italy.

In the decades since, the Maserati brand has experienced its fair share of trials and tribulations, ranging from War to bankruptcy, from incompetent ownership to quality control problems. Through it all, Maserati has never wavered from its tradition of building stylish, fast, and uniquely Italian sports cars.

Here are 10 of the hottest cars ever to emerge from Maserati.

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In a special ceremony this week, Bologna's City Council and Maserati unveiled a special plaque to commemorate the birthplace of the famed Italian marque.

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Present for the event were the sons of two of the Maserati brothers — Ettore and Ernesto.

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However, the brother most associated with the Maserati brand is Alfieri — after whom the company named its gorgeous concept in celebration of the 100th anniversary.

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From the very beginning, the name of the game for Maserati was the power and speed. Like this 250F Grand Prix racer that from the 1950s that helped the marque take home a pair of Formula World Championship with the legendary Juan Manuel Fangio behind the wheel. They even managed to defeat Enzo Ferrari and his prancing horse.

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This jaw-dropping 1957 450S racer remains one of the most beautiful designs ever to roll out of Maserati's workshop.

During the 1970s, Maserati and its French Citroen owners took the brand away from a classic Italian styling to a more bold and modern look. Great examples of this are the Bora (seen here) ...

... and its little brother, the Merak. Both of which were design by Giugaro's famed Italdesign firm.

By the 1990s, Maserati was saved from collapse by its former arch-nemesis — Ferrari. Under the guidance of Ferrari and Fiat, the Maserati brand regained some the luster it had lost in past couple of decades. It even received its own version of Ferrari's Enzo hypercar called the MC12.

In 2005, Maserati unveiled the Birdcage 75th — an homage to the Birdcage race car of the 1960s and perhaps the most stunning concept ever produced by the company. The Birdcage 75th was created as a celebration of the 75th anniversary of famed Italian design firm Pininfarina; it shared components with the Enzo.

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The Maserati GranTurismo is the company's current flagship sports coupe.

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As Maserati celebrates 100 years of business, it's riding a tidal wave of success. The company is a huge part of the newly formed Fiat Chrysler Automobile's growth strategy and will likely continue to experience surging sales.